


to catch a catfish

by itskatbug



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Online Relationship, Social Media, lapslock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-12 09:14:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10487370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itskatbug/pseuds/itskatbug
Summary: cat·fish /ˈkatˌfiSH/(verb) to lure someone into a relationship by means of a fictional online personatwo years ago, lee jihoon received a direct message from someone named 'gyu' on twitter and the rest was history.  that is, until jihoon realizes that they have never actually spoken face-to-face.  he starts to wonder if the reason why the guy he calls his boyfriend seems so perfect is because he isn't actually real, and now he's very determined to figure out the truth.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first ever fanfic, but i just couldn't shake this au idea. i blame it on my recent marathon of mtv's catfish. i apologize if there are any mistakes or problems with characterization. i hope you enjoy the story, and thank you so much for reading it! please let me know what you think!

he had heard the term before, knew there was a show based on it, and had even seen it happen to other people. so jihoon was almost one hundred percent positive that he was being catfished.

in the beginning, he decided to live in blissful ignorance. he wanted to believe that it was possible, that someone so perfect could be interested in him. but eventually, he had to face the facts and accept that it just wasn't possible. he wasn't the type that caught the attention of beautiful people, and he definitely wasn't someone that a gorgeous guy would dedicate two whole years of his life to. it was all too good to be true, so clearly, it couldn't have been true.

it all started on twitter almost two years before. jihoon was a little shocked to find a direct message from a cute guy sitting in his inbox, but his interest outweighed any suspicion. the account that had messaged him belonged to someone named gyu, an eighteen year old from seoul with a very attractive user icon. in fact, the photo was _so_ attractive that he was almost convinced the kid was a male model. his golden skin made it look like he had been kissed by the sun, his smile was more infectious than the common cold, and his canines could probably cut through steel if he was stupid enough to try. this kid could have introduced himself as the personification of happiness itself and he would have been inclined to believe him. he was the epitome of beauty and jihoon was utterly weak.

the message itself was simple enough, just saying hello and introducing himself. it seemed friendly, so he put aside any anxiety he was feeling and sent a similar response. when he mentioned it to his roommate in passing, soonyoung was convinced that it had to be more than just a friendly interaction. as a self-proclaimed 'flirtation expert', he explained to his naive friend that adding a smiley face changed all meaning of the message. how was he supposed to know that the winking emoticon meant that the other wanted to fuck him? possibly for the first time in their friendship, he actually felt grateful to have soonyoung's guidance.

one message lead to another (often carefully constructed with the help of friends), and soon enough, the pair were exchanging phone numbers. to his surprise, talking to gyu was comfortable, and the protection of his phone screen made it so much easier to interact with someone so attractive. jihoon found a good friend in the puppy dog of a human being, and it was only natural for him to develop feelings as time went on. maybe he was stupid for falling for someone that he had never actually met, but emotions had never been his strong suit anyway.

although they had never actually video-chatted — gyu claimed that his front facing camera had broken after he clumsily dropped his phone on the sidewalk —, they were able to speak over the phone. and there was just something about that adorable lisp and ridiculous giggle on the other side of the line that made the elder's pulse pick up. he felt safe with gyu, could tell him things that he hadn't even told soonyoung. the physical distance between them was something that he was willing to overlook, and when the younger had confessed feelings for jihoon, it only seemed right for them to take their relationship to the next level. people dated long distance all the time, right? there was no reason why they shouldn't at least try. he figured that the happiness that gyu brought him would make it all worth it.

in the two years since they had met (with a year and a half of that time spent in a relationship), they had never once met in person. but it wasn't for lack of trying. in fact, jihoon had taken multiple trips to seoul from busan in the recent years, but there was always an excuse offered by gyu as to why they couldn't meet. he would be too busy with class, or his family would be in town, or his friends needed his help. and while the voice in the back of his mind had begun commenting on how strange that seemed, jihoon wanted to believe his boyfriend. gyu was the type of person to put other people's needs before his own, and his grades were very important to him, so the excuses did make sense to him. while it hurt to think that meeting in person wasn't a top priority for the younger, he could be understanding for the one he loved.

but insecurities were a bitch and jihoon let doubt fester inside of him. how could someone so perfect actually be interested in him? why had they never once video-chatted in two whole years? if his front camera was broken, how did he send so many selcas of himself? he couldn't possibly be taking them with the back camera. and why was it so difficult for them to meet in person when it should have happened at least three times already? he wasn't stupid; he knew that people made fake accounts using someone else's pictures. catfishing was a very common thing online, and while gyu was his best friend and first relationship, jihoon still knew there was a very probable chance that he wasn't even a real person. and the more he questioned it, the more likely it seemed to be. it was much easier to just assume the worst when you lived your life viewing the glass half empty.

so there were a few things that jihoon was absolutely sure of. he was dating a catfish. he had wasted two years on a complete stranger. and he refused to go down without a fight. now all he had to do was figure out exactly how he could expose whoever it was that he was actually dating.

 

...

 

waking up to a ‘good morning’ text from gyu was a part of his daily routine. before he had figured out the truth about his boyfriend, it had always been the perfect way to start the day. he could get out of bed with a smile knowing that the string of kissy emoticons and the enthusiastic ‘i love you!!!!!’ came from the most important person in his life. it used to make the days just a little bit brighter, and he loved it. now that he knew he was being lied to, though, it almost made him want to throw his phone against the wall… but he was a broke university student who couldn’t afford a replacement, so he settled for simply turning off the screen and letting out a groan in frustration.

“please tell me that you just woke up from a stressful dream and are not currently taking care of your morning wood,” a teasing voice interrupted his angst, muffled slightly by his closed door.

jihoon practically tumbled out of his bed, hitting the floor with a thud and another groan. it probably didn’t help his case, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. now was a time to wallow in self-pity, not fight his roommate over whether or not he should hypothetically be allowed to masturbate in the comfort of his own room (he should and he would if he so pleased, but again, not the time). dragging himself across the bedroom, he pulled open the door with a bit too much force. “fuck off, soon. i don’t need your attitude so early in the morning. if you haven’t noticed, i’m already going through an existential crisis, and your presence is not helping.”

he followed the smell of burnt toast into the kitchen, gaze falling on the mop of dark hair that was currently buried in the refrigerator. once again, his roommate’s voice was muffled, though this time it could be blamed on the fact that he had a mouth full of blackened bread, “you’re an asshole in the mornings, you know that? well, you’re an asshole all the time, but it’s at least three times worse before you’ve had coffee.”

all he offered in reply was a grunt, knowing there was no reason to argue that point. he could get a little grumpy without caffeine in his system, and if there was anyone who knew that, it was soonyoung. shuffling his way across the room, he began his morning routine with a mug full of the shitty instant coffee that would eventually improve his mood. it took a bit of self-restraint to not return to his room, grab his phone, and reply to gyu’s message with a mirrored amount of enthusiasm as he usually would, but he managed.

“so are you going to tell me what you were moaning about earlier, or did i really interrupt a wank session?”

jihoon threw a well-practiced glare in the other’s direction, hiding the bottom half of his face behind the rim of his mug. why did he have to pick the worst best friends? one wasn’t even a real person, and the other was a complete idiot. right now, he was stuck with the idiot, and that idiot could see right through him after years of living together, so he might as well just come clean. maybe he could even help him come up with a solution to all of this. “i’m pretty sure my boyfriend isn’t who he says he is,” there was a short pause, the silence filled with an exaggerated gasp from the other. “i mean, he’s totally a catfish, right? you’ve seen his pictures. and you’ve seen _me_. i finally realized that there’s just no way that’s actually him.”

he hadn’t expected the hardened bread crust that was thrown in his direction, morning reflexes too slow to dodge it. by the time it had hit his face and then the tiled floor, the brunet had crossed the room and gripped him by the shoulders. “don’t you dare talk about yourself like that! you are a beautiful fairy,” each word was punctuated by a rough shake, the shorter’s head bouncing up and down like a bobblehead. he pushed his friend away the moment his neck began to hurt from the forceful movement. “and, yeah, he might look an actual adonis, but that doesn’t mean it’s not really him.”

jihoon rubbed at the soreness in his neck as he sucked in a deep breath, trying to remain as calm as possible. it probably wouldn’t look good if he started yelling or crying already. “number one, i like having my head attached to my body, so let’s not do that again. two, stop calling me a fairy. and three, we’ve never actually video-chatted. that’s always the first sign of a catfish.” at the quirk of an eyebrow, his cheeks began to heat up, “i did my research, alright? don’t you dare judge me right now.”

the other looked exasperated at his response, although he didn’t know why. if anyone had a reason to be distressed in this situation, it was him. “jihoonie,” oh god, there was that condescending voice that made him want to put his head through the wall, “i think you’re being a little dramatic. we both know gyu, and he would never lie to you. he loves you! he says it, like, ten times a day.”

“maybe that’s a lie too!” his earlier resolve not to yell was quickly thrown out the window. “come on, soon, think about it! every time i try to meet up with him, he has a new excuse why he can’t. his phone’s camera has been ‘broken’ for two whole years. and i haven’t spoken to a single one of his friends, but he’s talked to you at least fifteen times. doesn’t that seem a little weird to you?”

it wasn’t something that he should have felt victorious over, but a small part of him swelled with pride knowing that he had stumped soonyoung into a moment of silence. it warranted a long sip of his coffee, slurping the drink in an obnoxious way that made the quiet all the more apparent. a few good seconds passed before the other could come up with a reply, his features now morphing into a look of concern. “okay. it is weird. but you two have been dating for over a year. if he really was catfishing, i don’t think he would have let it go on for that long.”

“you’d be surprised,” he ran fingers through his blond hair, catching the small tangles that had formed in his sleep and tugging them free, “i read about this one girl who catfished a guy for six years. and it wasn’t even because she genuinely liked him! she thought it was entertaining to mess with him.” it hurt to say, hurt to actually doubt his boyfriend, but he knew it was true, “maybe that’s what gyu is doing with me. maybe he thinks it’s funny that some pathetic guy from busan fell in love with a stranger on the internet. maybe he laughs about it with his friends that i’ve never spoken to!”

there was a hint of sympathy hidden within the dark brown of his best friend’s gaze, and it made him a little nauseous. saying it out loud made it feel more real, and he could feel his heart sinking to the bottom of his chest. jihoon had always thought of himself as someone who was smart, but he had begun to doubt himself. if he could fall for one of the oldest tricks on the internet, then he was no better than some naïve, love-struck preteen. it should have been obvious from the start. there was no way someone as kind and intelligent and talented and beautiful as gyu could actually exist. nobody could be that perfect.

as if he could sense the despair that swirled inside of the younger, soonyoung moved to wrap his smaller frame in a hug. he let it happen, even setting aside his mostly empty mug to return the gesture. sometimes he appreciated having this idiot as his best friend. “you’re not pathetic for falling in love with someone that made you feel special, ji. you’re only human. but i don’t think you should just accuse him of lying to you, especially about something so major, without any actual evidence. it’s not fair for either of you.” he rubbed his hand up and down the other’s back, tracing long, soothing circles over the fabric of his shirt. “if you’re really serious about this, then we should look into it and see if we can find anything. catfish steal other people’s photos, right? so maybe we can find whoever is actually in those photos, if it’s not really gyu.”

jihoon allowed himself to bury his face in his friend’s shoulder, nodding as best as he could without breaking their contact. it felt nice to be hugged like this. it would have felt even better if he was being held by his boyfriend, but seeing as he was currently questioning the guy’s entire existence, this was probably the safer option. “do you think you can look into it? i’m kind of afraid of what i’ll find if i do it myself.”

“of course i will!” the taller pulled back to flash one of his famous beaming smile, cheeks puffing up and eyes squinting endearingly. the sight was enough to bring jihoon back to reality, back to their dull apartment kitchen and the morning light that streamed through the windows. “detective kwon soonyoung is on the case, don’t you worry. i’ve done this at least three times before, so i’m practically an internet stalking expert by now.”

for a moment, he thought about questioning that statement, a bit concerned about why the other would be well-versed in the world of internet stalking, but decided against it. this was soonyoung he was talking about; knowing him, he probably stalked cute classmates for fun. so instead of pushing further, he just gave another curt nod in approval. he was even able to force a small smile, lips curving upward just the slightest bit in an attempt to match the blinding grin that was aimed at him.

it seemed to be enough for his roommate, who stepped back and flashed two thumbs up, “perfect! let me go get my laptop and i’ll spend the afternoon seeing what i can dig up. in the meantime, you should just act like everything is normal. talk to gyu like you always do, because you could be wrong. and you don’t want to ruin everything if he really is who he says.”

there was no point in arguing that logic, so jihoon simply downed the rest of his coffee, frowning at the chilled temperature of the remaining drink, before dragging himself back in the direction of his room. maybe soonyoung wouldn’t find anything and this would all be cleared up for him. maybe he really was just being insecure and paranoid about the whole thing. and maybe he really did want to reply to that ‘good morning’ text, no matter how upset he had been. he was only human after all, and as he already knew, he truly was weak to his boyfriend.

 

...

 

 **gyu** : make sure you eat a healthy dinner tonight!!! you have a test tomorrow and you need all the energy you can get!!! σ(≧ε≦ｏ)

 **jihoon** : don’t worry about me so much. you have your own classes to worry about, dummy.

 **gyu** : one day we’ll be together and i can just make you a tasty meal instead of nagging you...

 **jihoon** : i know. hopefully one day soon.

 **gyu** : it will be soon, i swear. but until then… you better eat a good dinner!!!

 **jihoon** : ok, mom. i promise to eat a healthy dinner.

 **gyu** : ew! i hope that wasn’t you admitting to having a mommy kink. ( ;´Д` )

 **jihoon** : fuck off. i hate you.

 **gyu** : I LOVE YOU!!!!!! ٩(♡ε♡ )۶

 

“jihoon, come here!”

he hated that he caught himself smiling at that dumb text message, reading it over two more times before bothering to actually follow the sound of soonyoung’s voice. gyu managed to make his heartbeat speed up even now, overpowering the doubt and filling him with warmth instead. he wanted to believe that his words were true, that he did love him and that they would be together someday soon, but he refused to get his hopes up. especially when ‘detective kwon soonyoung’ was calling out for him a second time. he didn’t bother to send a reply, wandering out into the living room with more nerves than he wanted to admit.

the brunet patted the couch cushions beside him, encouraging him to take a seat in front of the open laptop on the coffee table. seeing such a serious expression on the normally happy-go-lucky soonyoung’s face was more concerning than it should have been, but that small bit of hope that he held onto was enough to help him cross the room and settle into the seat. he shouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet, already having done that enough already. there was a possibility that his friend was just pulling his leg, setting up an atmosphere so he could yell ‘sike’ in a few minutes. it would be a soonyoung thing to do, that was for sure.

once he had settled down on the couch, the lead investigator of their case jumped right into it, “so i did find something interesting. first, i searched up his phone number, and it _could_ be tracked to an address in seoul, so at least that's true. but then i took some of gyu’s pictures and searched to see if they were anywhere else online. and i found an instagram account with all of the same photos.” he gave a long pause, probably for some kind of dramatic flair to build the tension, and received nothing more than a pointed look. he got the message pretty quickly, carrying on with his story, “gyu doesn’t have an instagram, does he? if he did, he probably would have mentioned it to you before. and it gets weirder!” the laptop was suddenly pulled into soonyoung’s lap, a webpage already open and ready to be shown off. “the name of this guy is actually really similar. which is a good thing, right? i mean, gyu sounds like a shortened version of ‘kim mingyu’. so it probably really is him.”

jihoon’s eyes were glued to the screen, unable to look away from the wall of photos. there he was, looking like he could be on the cover of vogue, with that stupid smile that made jihoon's heart melt. some of them were familiar, pictures he had seen on twitter or had been sent via text message. he even recognized the messy bedhead selca that had been sent to him two days ago as the most recent post. he had set that same photo as his lockscreen shortly after receiving it. but there were a few that he hadn’t seen before, all featuring the guy he thought he loved posing with other people. he couldn’t imagine why gyu wouldn’t send him those pictures as well, unless he was uncomfortable showing off his friends. or maybe they weren’t his friends, and it all looped back to his original theory that he wasn’t actually this kim mingyu guy. the pair had never exchanged full names for whatever reason, so that could very well be it, but he felt like that would have been too easy. “sometimes people use the original name when they catfish because it makes it seem more legitimate,” he found himself mumbling, eyes flickering over each of the photos as if he was trying to memorize them all.

“oh,” there was almost an air of defeat in his tone, telling jihoon that he hadn’t actually considered that as an option. “i guess that's possible too, but i was hoping that it was him. though it does make me wonder why he’s never sent you this page before. it’s not the same username, but you follow him on twitter, so why not instagram too?”

it was probably a rhetorical question, but the blond felt the need to reply anyway. he felt that he needed to say it out loud to help himself process it. “it’s not his page, obviously. if it was gyu’s account, then there’s no reason for him to keep it from me. unless there’s something he doesn’t want me to see, but he tells me everything… at least, i thought he did.” inching closer to the computer, he moved to scroll further down the page. again, he saw both familiar and new photos, eyebrows furrowing in frustration.

“wait, click on that one.”

jihoon followed his roommate’s finger with the trackpad, clicking on a photo of mingyu and some other guy. regardless of whether or not this actually was gyu, the green monster of jealousy curled in the pit of his stomach. it showed the two posing on a couch, arms thrown around each other and legs twisted together. they looked like a couple at a party, wearing matching smiles. the boy he was with was cute, almost innocent looking, with his wide eyes and bright hair and rounded nose and pointed ears. as much as he hated to admit it, the stranger had a fairy-like appearance just like he did. if this _was_ gyu, then he clearly had a type. and if that wasn’t bad enough, then the photo’s caption was enough to make his chest ache.

soonyoung leaned in closer to the screen, examining the picture with a determined squint. his eyes hovered over the words next to it, reading it over once, twice, three times before daring to read it aloud. “‘ _nothing beats a party with your soulmate_ ’? wait, does that mean—oh, shit.” finally shifting his gaze to his best friend, he wasted no time in scooping the shorter into another hug. today was a day for hugs, apparently. “jihoon, i’m so sorry.”

sinking into the embrace, jihoon tried his absolute hardest not to break down. he wasn’t sure what would happen, whether he would scream or cry or just stare blankly at the screen forever, but he knew it wouldn’t be good. “so, we have two options,” his voice was surprisingly calm, void of any emotion, “either this is gyu, and my boyfriend is cheating on me, or it’s someone else, and i’ve been in love with someone else’s boyfriend’s face for two years.”

“yeah.”

that must have been the only response the other could muster, because the pair sat in silence until long after the screen went to sleep. it was getting pretty late in the day, the sun already starting its journey underneath the horizon. the light painted the walls of their apartment a pretty orange-pink, and jihoon appreciated the sight of it. it made him feel a little bit better, if that was possible. it reminded him that the world was still moving outside, even if he felt like his heart was breaking on the inside.

no matter how he put it, whatever the truth was, gyu had lied to him somehow. it hurt enough for him to wish he had never fallen in love in the first place. and all he wanted to do was figure out that damn plan for revenge. now that his suspicions had been confirmed, that was the only thing left on his list. 

soonyoung seemed to think the same, because he eventually broke the delicate silence between them.

“so, you wanna go to seoul next weekend?”


	2. Chapter 2

the first thing one needed in order to exact any form of revenge was a solid strategy. without a good idea of how things should play out, it could very easily go to shit. jihoon knew this well, which is why he and his trusty best friend had spent the last week trying to formulate a plan of action. that didn’t mean they had actually come up with anything decent, but they did try, and soonyoung believed it was the effort that counted. jihoon believed that he was full of shit.

all they really had were train tickets for that saturday and the address linked to gyu’s phone number. extra searching told them that it was an apartment building just off the campus of the younger boy’s school. he remembered reading that catfish often used details about their real lives in an attempt to keep their story straight. it made sense that gyu really attended the school he said he did, lived with his best friend, and majored in culinary science. there was an odd sense of reassurance that maybe not everything jihoon thought he knew about the other was a complete lie.

the best idea they could come up with was to visit the address and see if they could somehow find gyu. the details on exactly how they would do that were still fuzzy, especially if he wasn’t actually kim mingyu and they had no way to identify him, but it was better than nothing. having some kind of an idea of what they would do once they made it to the city helped settle some of the anxiety that buzzed underneath jihoon’s skin in the days prior to their departure.

they both thought that it would be smart for him to act normal with gyu, to talk to him just like he always did and make it seem like everything was fine. it was easier said than done, carrying on like he was happy when he felt so broken, but jihoon was fueled by enough anger to make it happen. revenge was definitely one hell of a motivator. 

he also decided not to mention the impromptu trip to his boyfriend, worried that it might scare him off and cost them their only chance. gyu had experience when it came to coming up with excuses for why they couldn’t meet, so it was best not to give him time to plan. it would all happen in the moment, and he could only hope that would be enough catch the liar off his guard.

finally, the day had come for him to face his fears and he wasn’t completely sure if he was ready to confront the monster under his bed (or catfish from twitter, whatever). he was glad to have someone by his side who supported his decision and was willing to hold his hand when he needed it. before he figured out the truth, he might have thought that gyu could be that person for him, but maybe it was just soonyoung all along. at least he had managed to pick one good best friend, as annoying as he could be at times.

the hand wrapped around his own was grounding, holding him together as he watched the scenery pass by through the train’s window. soonyoung, ever the positive spirit, wanted him to try and appreciate some aspect of their trip, even if it was just the pretty blurs of color that flew by them on the way there. he did his best not to touch his phone, only chancing a glance when he needed to navigate his playlist. if he played with it enough, he would feel the familiar urge to message the same man he was on his way to expose. their last exchange had ended that morning with gyu wishing him the usual good day and jihoon promising that he wouldn’t eat instant ramen for the third evening in a row. if he didn’t actively think about the fact that he was chatting with a stranger, he could almost convince himself that everything was just as it had always been. for now, it was for the best if he just focused on the outside world and worked to calm his rapidly beating heart.

it was almost like jihoon was on death row, counting down the minutes until their arrival in seoul. he had a few more hours before he would ruin the relationship that had made him so happy for the last couple of years, so it was all he could do to try and make the most of it.

 

…

 

 **jihoon** : hey, what are you up to?

 **gyu** : on my way home! want me to call when i get there??

 **jihoon** : maybe in a little bit. soon is being louder than usual.

 **gyu** : hahaha, yikes!!! is that even possible??

 

“what the fuck? how dare this guy make fun of me! he has the audacity to do all this to you and still laugh at me? i’ll be as loud as i want, damn it!”

at least his text hadn’t been a complete lie, he thought to himself. soonyoung _was_ being too loud for them to talk, breathing over his shoulder to read their conversation and shouting insults toward the catfish in his ear. the guy was a little worked up, maybe even more-so than jihoon in the moment. he could probably blame that on the possible heart attack that was starting inside his chest, but he could hardly move his fingers to type a reply, let alone react with the same energy as his friend.

“seriously though, can you shut up? i feel like we’re suspicious enough standing around outside his building… we don’t need to draw any more attention to ourselves,” his voice was small, almost a whisper in comparison to soonyoung’s shouting, but it was loud enough to silence the other. if they wanted to ambush gyu, they probably shouldn’t shout out their intentions in front of his building.

on the short trip from the train station to the apartment, they had managed to solidify the small scheme they had been brainstorming back at home. unfortunately, all they had was the address for the building, leaving five possible floors of apartments that could belong to their target. it would be a waste of time to try and knock on every single door, although soonyoung insisted it should be their backup plan if they failed the first time around. the most logical approach was to hope that gyu came to them rather than having to go after him themselves. he had to come home eventually – and according to his texts, he would be there pretty soon –, and when he did, he would no doubt recognize this boyfriend waiting for him. 

it could be a shot in the dark, but there were two ways it could play out. if kim mingyu really was gyu, then the pair would be able to spot him in a heartbeat. if not, then hopefully he would be shocked enough to show a big reaction, something that would catch their attention and tip them off that it was him. it required watching every stranger that wandered toward the building, but at least they could keep track of his location through the texts.

the plan was by no means fool-proof, but when it was thought up by two fools, it was probably the best they could do.

**gyu** : gotta make a detour to pick up dinner for the roomie, ugh! 

“he’ll be home in a few minutes. he’s stopping to get takeout for his roommate, so that might narrow it down,” jihoon’s gaze stayed on his phone, trusting the other to be his eyes for the time being. he couldn’t tell if he was going to faint or suffer from heart failure, but at this point, the odds looked pretty even. “whoever it is, they’ll be carrying a takeout bag. makes things a bit easier for us.”

“you got it, boss!” he didn’t need to look up to know that soonyoung was giving him a mock salute, predictable even in a moment of extreme stress. his fingers busied themselves with a reply, trying to seem as casual as possible. what would he usually say about shitty takeout for gyu’s roommate? what if the other could tell that something was off about him? what if this all blew up in his face and the whole plan was ruined? the grip he held on his phone tightened to stop his hands from shaking, swallowing down the doubt rising through him. they had already gotten this far, and he was not about to let his fear get the best of him.

**jihoon** : minghao's lucky to live with you. soonyoung never brings me takeout.

 **gyu** : aww, is someone jealous?? ( ´꒳` )

 **jihoon** : shut up and go feed your roommate, asshole. he’s probably waiting for you.

 **gyu** : don’t worry about him, i’ll be home in a second~ then you can kick soonyoung-hyung out and we can talk all night long!!

 

“ji, you should look with me. i know i’m hot enough to catch anyone’s eye, but he’ll definitely recognize you before me.” soonyoung had a good point there. it seemed obvious that he should be the one looking out for gyu, but it would take a miracle to make him look up from his phone right now. he would be home in a second, which could be anything from ten minutes to that very moment. there could potentially be only one second left before his relationship came crashing down, and jihoon wasn’t sure if he was ready to let go. two whole years of his life had been spent with this person, whoever they were, and now it was coming to an end. he had pictured a future with gyu, juggling around the idea of moving across the country to be with him, and once this was over, he would be back to square one. he would be alone, unsure, and unloved. so if he just had to keep his eyes locked on that screen to keep his dreams alive, even if it was for a few seconds more, then it would take the end of the world to tear his gaze away.

or maybe it would just take that adorable voice with its stupid lisp that let loose a million butterflies in his stomach.

“jihoon?”

the moment of truth, the encounter that he had been dreaming of for two years (and dreaming of differently for the last week), had finally arrived. the voice that had lulled him to sleep in the past, soft and light and so lovely, overflowed with shock. that was something he had expected from the surprise meeting, knowing he had lied about the trip to gyu and practically stalked him, but what he didn’t expect was the fact that the man hadn’t run away yet. jihoon wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for the shoes that had stepped into his line of vision, still directed to the dirty sidewalk as he tried to gather enough courage to look up. 

from his side, he could hear what most would assume to be a dying cat, but he knew was actually the reaction of his best friend. soonyoung was carrying out a high-pitched screech for so long that he was bound to run out of breath, only stopping after jihoon threw a punch into his gut. another figure entered his line of sight very suddenly, watching his roommate curl into the ground in pain. or maybe it was a mixture of pain and shock, because he wasn’t sure if he had enough strength in his body to cause such a reaction. either way, his friend was currently laying on a filthy city street beside a pair of shoes that refused to move.

“jihoon-hyung,” the voice sounded distant, almost as if it was floating down from the top of the apartment building, but his shock remained just as evident the second time around. he wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he first spotted them, but it felt like a lifetime. at least long enough for jihoon to realize that he needed to lift his gaze if he wanted to move the interaction any further. so he followed the line of this man’s body until he felt like his neck might snap from the strain, coming to two very simple conclusions.

the first being that this person was quite possibly the tallest human on the face of the earth.

the second was that he was now face-to-face with the very guy he had been viewing photos of for the last two years. everything was the same but somehow so much clearer in person. it felt like he was seeing his features in high definition, much more intense than any device’s screen could ever convey. his tan could best be described as a golden bronze, his teeth sparkled like miniature diamonds, and his eyes held all the warmth in the world. even those damn canines were visible with his current expression, mouth hanging open in what could only be complete and utter confusion. this man, kim mingyu, had been his gyu the entire time. and, god, was he even more attractive in person.

“gyu.” the name came out as more of a breath than an actual word, jihoon’s own expression probably somewhat mirroring that of his boyfriend’s. shit, he couldn’t even wrap his mind around that. this guy was his boyfriend. kim mingyu, male model material, really was on the other side of the screen the entire time. and now he was standing right before him, live and in the flesh, waiting patiently for some kind of an explanation. what was it that he and soonyoung had planned for him to say once they found him?

it seemed that one of the roommates still had his mind intact, despite his current position sitting on the ground. “ah- _ha_! we found you, you dirty liar! don’t think you’re off the hook just because that pretty face really is yours!”

if he was wearing a look of confusion before, then mingyu was utterly baffled by soonyoung’s exclamation. those beautiful brown eyes shifted between the two men in front of him, begging for an explanation that would actually make sense to him. “i’m sorry, _what_? dirty liar?” he paused for a beat, lifting up a tentative finger to poke his own cheek, “pretty face?” it was almost as if he couldn’t comprehend that the pair were actually there, loitering around his apartment, and jihoon really couldn’t blame him. if their roles were reversed, he probably would have fainted, cried, and then fainted once more. he had to hand it to mingyu for managing to physically keep it together.

before soonyoung could make matters any worse, already pushing himself off of the floor with a finger jabbed in the youngest man’s direction, he finally made his move. turning just slightly, jihoon gave his friend a pleading look, silently begging him not to say anything else. he appreciated the support, but this seemed like something that he needed to handle on his own. luckily, years of friendship made it simple to decipher his message, and the brunet backed off without a word. he decided to take control of the situation, daring to be brave enough to reach out and place a gentle hand on mingyu’s arm. it took a lot of self-restraint to not mentally comment on how buff that arm was, tugging him away from their third party to finally talk directly to his boyfriend’s face.

the taller followed without any fight, stepping aside as his gaze dropped down to the hand on his arm. at least they were both in a state of shock, and that gave jihoon enough confidence to speak up. “so it really is you? it’s been you the whole time?”

“what do you mean, really me? hyung, what the hell are you doing here? i just talked to you two minutes ago and you were definitely not in seoul.” the phrasing was so gyu that it made him want to laugh. actually seeing the words leave his mouth was like a dream. it was almost too endearing to see exactly how that voice matched with his appearance.

“i mean,” somehow, slight amusement bled into his tone, “i am in seoul, so that was a lie. a lie by omission, technically, because i never said i was still in busan, but that’s not important. what’s important is that i found you and it really is you. i didn’t think you could be real, but here you are!”

a beat of silence passed between them, filled only by the dull sounds of the city around them. it looked like mingyu was trying to piece his words together, trying his best to make sense of the situation. he decided to be nice and throw the poor guy a bone, worried that he might hurt himself from thinking too hard. “i was convinced that it wasn’t really you in all those photos. it just felt too good to be true, i guess. like, how could someone look like _you_ and still be interested in me? i came here to see for myself. but it looks like i was wrong.”

“you didn’t think it was me.” he repeated those words slowly, letting his mouth curve around each sound, as if it would help him understand. once more, he muttered the sentence, this time to himself more than to jihoon. it was almost like a lightbulb turned on in his mind when it finally clicked, understanding slowly softening his features. “hyung, did you think i was one of those people that use someone else’s photos? that i was a catfish or something?”

hearing the younger voice his own thoughts made him feel ashamed, pale skin tinting pink with embarrassment. it sounded absolutely ridiculous when the guy he thought was a catfish said it himself. instead of risking saying the wrong thing, he opted to just nod in reply to the questions. this whole mess had been his own fault, letting his insecurities get in the way of all reason. he convinced himself that there was no possibility gyu could have been telling the truth, and now he had to come to terms with his rash thinking.

“and what did you mean by that; how someone like me could be interested in you?” if jihoon had to place the new emotion in his voice, he’d say it was similar to genuine hurt. it only served to confuse him further, eyebrows furrowing together as he gazed up at the other. there were so many reasons for him to be hurt by all of this, but the fact that he was good-looking should not be one of them. as if he could read the thoughts that bounced around the shorter’s mind, he continued, “you’re, like, the most attractive guy i’ve ever met. why do you think i dm’ed you that first time? you’re so beautiful, it took me two whole days to write that message because i was so intimidated. and you think there’s no way i could be attracted to you because, what, you think i’m hot too? i thought it was pretty obvious when i confessed.”

if his skin had turned pink before, it must have rivaled the shell of a lobster by this point. the confidence that mingyu spoke with was overwhelming, leaving him no choice but to believe what he had to say. every word sounded so sincere, lifting invisible weight off of his shoulders with each compliment. it didn’t matter how he viewed himself or what his doubt told him: his extremely attractive boyfriend thought that he was extremely attractive too. jihoon worried briefly that his body might catch on fire with the heat it was emitting. he mustered up all the strength he had to spit out an eloquent reply.

“oh.”

maybe it wasn’t quite as intelligent as he had been hoping for, but it seemed to get his feelings across. his forgotten grip on the other’s arm absentmindedly tightened, drawing both of their attention to the point of contact. he lingered for a second longer, unsure if he could bring himself to let go, before pulling away. gyu might have been telling the truth the entire time, but that didn’t explain away all those amazing points jihoon had made to convince soonyoung of the whole catfish thing. he still needed answers. “but if you weren’t a liar, then why haven’t we ever video-chatted? why did you make excuses not to meet me when i was here? how come i haven’t spoken to any of your friends when you know mine? it just doesn’t make sense!”

the grin that split across the younger’s face was breathtaking, his cheeks coloring a gorgeous pink shade. it was unfair that he could still look so amazing when he was clearly embarrassed. a hand snaked to the back of his neck, rubbing subconsciously against the skin as he looked toward the ground, “i didn’t lie when i said my phone camera was broken, i promise, but that was when we first met. for the first few months, i really couldn’t video-chat. i ended up getting a new phone right before we started dating… i had just gotten comfortable with not talking to your face by that point, and i think i was too nervous to try it. it was easier to not do it than face my fears, you know?

“and i really wasn’t trying to blow you off when you were in seoul. the first time you came, i’ll admit, that was a lie. i said that i had a big project due because i was scared to actually meet you. i thought something would go wrong and it would ruin everything. but those other times were true, i swear! my family _was_ in town and my friends _did_ need me, and i would have felt so bad if i cancelled on them out of nowhere. you know me, i’m a people-pleaser! if someone told me to jump off a bridge, i would try to do flips on the way down just to impress them!” his rant was interrupted by a snort from jihoon, a sound that had involuntarily escaped from his throat. it was like his body was so conditioned to laugh at mingyu’s jokes that he no longer held control over it. it helped to relax the younger, at least, tension visibly slipping from his shoulders before he continued, “and you haven’t spoken to any of my friends because they’re all assholes.”

“soonyoung is an asshole too, but you two still know each other,” the argument slipped out before he could filter himself, a little bit louder than he wanted. it seemed to catch the attention of the few people around them, including the asshole in question who shouted an offended ‘hey!’ from a few steps away. “i don’t expect you to introduce your internet boyfriend to all of your friends, but not even your roommate? you said he’s your best friend, and i want to get to know the most important people in your life.”

he watched the other shake his head quite vehemently, disagreeing with his comments before they had even finished leaving his mouth. “minghao is the biggest asshole of them all! he’s the _last_ person i want you to meet. trust me, the dude is demon spawn wrapped up in a cute package.” he let a canine tooth sink into the skin of his bottom lip, worrying it slightly as he considered his next words, “plus, he gets embarrassed about his accent, so i don’t think he would talk on the phone even if i paid him. he makes me order takeout for a reason.” his arm raised awkwardly in the air, showing off the plastic bag that jihoon hadn’t even noticed he was holding. whatever it was that he ordered was probably freezing by that point, and he couldn’t help but feel slightly responsible for the cold meal minghao would be experiencing. but if he really was an asshole like mingyu said, then maybe he shouldn’t feel too bad about it.

“i guess all of that makes sense. i was nervous to meet you too, and i get why you didn’t want to, but it’s not like we can just date online forever. if we’re going to have a future together like we want, then we have to meet eventually. so to me, it didn’t feel like there was a good reason why you’d prolong the wait unless you had something to hide.” now that they had gotten over their initial surprise, jihoon found the words coming to him much simpler. it almost felt as natural as their usual conversations, lulling him into a false sense of security. there were still questions left to be answered, and there were some details that he just couldn’t overlook. “soonyoung found your instagram too. i didn’t even know you had any accounts other than twitter,” he couldn’t mask the hurt in his voice quickly enough, but he tried to at least keep a blank expression.

“oh.” it must have been mingyu’s turn to be eloquent, blinking a few times in surprise as the information processed. his expression said everything, showing a clear look of guilt for having been caught in a lie. the hesitation was enough to melt away any comfort jihoon felt only seconds before. his nerves had kicked into high alert, pulse resuming its fast pace while he awaited a proper response. the longer they waited for one of them to speak, the more his hands trembled. he dropped his gaze down to them, wanting to escape the intense stare that was studying his face. all he knew was that the account had been kept from him for a reason, and his heart sank when he remembered what that reason probably was.

“you have another boyfriend, don’t you?”

his voice was soft enough to miss, an uncomfortable burn in his throat making it difficult to speak. he worried that he might have to repeat his question, not sure if he was strong enough to force it out a second time. but, judging by the choking noise that came from above him, he had spoken loud enough.

“wait, _what_? you think i’m dating someone else?” the incredulous tone seemed genuine, but he didn't actually deny the accusation. not receiving a clear answer was enough to form tears in the elder’s eyes, refusing to dissipate despite his frantic blinking. he couldn’t handle crying in front of mingyu, but it looked like he wouldn’t have a say in the matter. when he made no move to pick up his head, a warm pair of hands cupped at his cheeks and re-positioned him themselves. jihoon pinched his eyes closed, afraid he would break all resolve if he looked into those sad puppy dog eyes. “jihoonie-hyung, are you crying?”

those must have been the magic words, releasing the control he had struggled to hold onto since arriving in seoul. it was like a metaphorical dam had burst inside his chest, letting all the emotions he tried to keep buried rush to the surface. it started with a broken sob, one he could feel physically rip through his body, and tumbled violently downhill with every teardrop. for the last week, he tried so desperately to keep himself together, taping up any cracks in his armor and powering through because there was no other choice. if he didn’t, he would seem pathetic, and wasn’t he already pathetic for falling into this mess? that last bit of pride had been so important to jihoon that the moment he let it go, he crumbled.

clearly uncertain of how to comfort the smaller man, mingyu wiped away the first few tears with the rough pads of his thumbs. the feeling of callouses on his cheeks managed to stand out even when he was in the middle of a breakdown, realizing there was so much about his boyfriend that he truly didn’t know. his imagination always gave mingyu the softest touch, when in reality, the harshness of his fingertips felt nicer than he could’ve ever dreamed of. once it was obvious that drying a couple stray tears did nothing to help, the younger did the only thing he thought might bring him comfort: he wrapped his arms around his slim body and embraced him in a bear hug that nearly crushed the life out of him. and despite the slight difficulty he experienced with breathing, jihoon had never felt safer.

the warmth of his loved one’s body enveloping him was heaven. two years of wishing that he could be held by those strong arms finally came to fruition, and it was everything he’d hoped for and more. he would never find comfort in soonyoung’s shitty cuddles again, forever spoiled by this one simple hug. mingyu’s body was like a furnace against him, heat radiating off of him in a way that made jihoon question whether or not the man actually was sunshine incarnate. despite the overpowering scent of greasy takeout and unfiltered city air, mingyu’s musk was strong enough to make him dizzy. there was no way to describe it other than ‘clean’, the soapy smell entering his system and immediately settling his nerves. it did wonders for his sanity, to be pressed up against his boyfriend, and he couldn’t help but think about how many hugs he had missed out on because of their distance.

he wasn’t sure of how long they stood on that sidewalk, listening to the world carrying on outside their little bubble and waiting patiently for jihoon to recompose himself. by the sounds of soonyoung pacing nearby, muttering unintelligibly under his breath, it would be safe to say that more than just a few minutes had passed. the sobbing came to an end, leaving him with a few odd heaves every now and then, but he was calm enough to come to his senses. he hadn’t registered the lips in his hair until now, pressing gentle kisses to the top of his head and huffing warm breaths into the blond locks. if he wasn’t currently confronting his boyfriend for cheating on him, he might have fallen just a little bit more in love with the big oaf.

even after everything was calm, he selfishly clutched at the fabric of mingyu’s shirt, hoping he could soak in as much as possible before it was gone. judging by how tightly he was being held onto, he assumed that he wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

the silence that settled between them couldn’t last forever, but at least it was broken delicately by the soft voice that vibrated from the pit of the taller man’s chest. “i don’t know what made you think i have another boyfriend, but it’s not true. i would never do that to you. i’m so sorry if i made you think i would. i guess i never considered how you felt or what it might look like. i just didn’t wanna mess things up with you, you know? but i think i did anyway.”

his first attempt at a response was too muffled, his face still buried in the expanse of mingyu’s chest. he took a deep breath to settle the rest of his nerves before pulling back to look into those eyes again. “i saw the photo of your ‘soulmate’,” while he managed to keep his tone passive, his expression scrunched up into a look of disgust. “the guy with the elf ears and colorful hair.”

“elf ears?” maybe he should have come up with a better descriptor for the stranger. the same confused look from before made a comeback as mingyu tried to figure out who it could’ve been. and again, jihoon could visualize a lightbulb popping up above the younger’s head, recognition replacing all confusion. “oh my god, _no_! you mean the picture with minghao? shit, hyung, he’s not my boyfriend! god, no, never!”

that name was so familiar, having heard complaints and stories about the infamous roommate for years now. there had never been a face to associate with the name, but it made perfect sense for minghao to be someone that his boyfriend would cuddle up to on a couch at a party. hell, he and soonyoung had done the same thing more times than he could count! it made sense, it was the truth, and he felt like a complete idiot for jumping to such an extreme conclusion. “and the soulmate thing?”

“is a joke between my friends, nothing else. they’re always laughing about how we act like an old married couple and always bicker, so they think it’s funny to call us soulmates. i don’t know.” it sounded like he was trying to laugh it off, but it came out as more of a forced exhale. either mingyu really did know him well enough to read his mind, or he wore his emotions a lot clearer than he thought, because a second explanation followed shortly after. “and the reason i didn’t give you my instagram isn’t because i want to hide things from you. i just wanted to keep you to myself. my friends are assholes, remember? if they saw you following me, they would get nosy and bother you. they’d totally jump at the chance to make me look bad to my boyfriend.”

it was in that moment, standing on a street corner in seoul, the sturdy arms of his boyfriend of nearly two years wrapped around his torso, that jihoon came to yet another important conclusion. the look of sincerity on his face, the genuine concern in his voice, was enough to tell him that mingyu was telling the truth. and if that was the case, if he really had doubted their entire relationship on a hunch formed by insecurities, then there was only one thing left for him to say. 

his head tilted down in shame, hanging low as he brought his hands up to cover his face, “oh my god, i’m a fucking idiot.”

there was no reason for him to look up, the loud cackle that filled the air already telling him the other was currently laughing. at him, probably, but he deserved that right now. he was ready to accept that things were now ruined because of his paranoia only to be surprised by the tightening of an arm around his waist. rather than pushing him away like he should, hurt and upset that his boyfriend failed to trust him, mingyu was pulling him in closer, cradling the crown of his head and pressing his face back into the fabric of his shirt. they found themselves in another deadlock, one of them chuckling warmly and one waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“just a little bit,” mingyu chuckled. how was it possible for someone to sound so bright when they had just been wrongly accused of cheating? his evident amusement helped melt away some of jihoon’s nerves, relieved by the fact that he wasn’t getting angry. a low hum rumbled from the depths of mingyu’s chest, vibrations tickling the cheek that was pressed up against him, “but you’re not the only one. i was being a scaredy-cat and it made you worry. so at least we can be idiots together.”

those words took some time to register, floating in one ear and out the other before circling back around and planting themselves in his head. it didn’t seem possible that mingyu would understand where he was coming from, willing to overlook his stupidity to continue with their relationship, and yet, that’s exactly what it sounded like. he pulled back to shoot a skeptical look, trying not to be blinded by the stunning grin pointed at him. “you aren’t angry with me? i accused you of lying for our entire relationship! how can you not be upset by that?”

“oh no, i’m definitely upset,” the smile on his face said otherwise, but jihoon decided not to point that out. he gave the younger an encouraging nod to continue instead. “but it’s a little bit flattering. i mean, you came up with this whole scenario because you thought i was too hot to be real. that’s the best compliment i’ve ever gotten!” hearing that goofy schoolgirl giggle in person was like experiencing church bells for the first time, converting the buzz of his nerves into a flood of affection. “besides, having you here right now is kinda worth any hurt feelings.”

flushing red from the tips of his ears to the base of his neck, it wasn’t possible to bite back the grin that split across jihoon’s face. if he’d been right about anything, it was that he really had been dating an angel. he reached out to give him a playful shove, the two sharing a moment of laughter that felt a little surreal, “shut up! i regret showing up here; you’re even more of a loser in person.”

mingyu grabbed hold of his wrist without missing a beat, his childlike smile morphing into a flirtatious smirk. the ease with which he switched between the two was enough to cause whiplash, momentarily stunning jihoon and encouraging the wild pounding in his chest. he didn’t fail to notice when the younger’s gaze dropped down to his lips, fighting the urge to mirror the action. “but you love me anyway, right?”

lightheaded and slightly breathless, his tongue darted out to wet his lips before nodding in agreement, “yeah, i love you anyway.”

he couldn’t miss the swirl of emotions in the dark irises that were staring him down, a beautiful mixture of love, pride, and unadulterated joy. jihoon wanted to capture the memory of that look and treasure it forever, but he was rudely interrupted when the taller man bent his knees to meet his eyelevel and leaned in. all it had been was a swift press of their lips – chaste and dry and over much too quickly in his opinion –, but for a first kiss on a busy city sidewalk, he had no real complaints. before his eyes could even flutter shut in appreciation, that gorgeous face already pulled away, just out of reach. the forgotten grip on his wrist loosened as mingyu moved to grab hold of his hand. his pale skin pressed up against that golden complexion was like a work of art, fingers carding as if they had been made to lace together: like two puzzle pieces finally slotting into place.

“i’m glad to hear that, ‘cause i love you too,” mingyu said it like it was the easiest thing in the world. he didn’t even bother to ignore the otherworldly feeling those words brought him. “you look even cuter when you're blushing, by the way.”

jihoon was robbed of the chance to swat at him once more, letting himself be dragged out of his spot and over to where his roommate had been impatiently waiting for a conclusion. how soonyoung had managed to doze off leaning against a brick wall was a mystery to him, but he arose from his sleep with a measly kick to the foot. years of living with the brunet had dulled his amusement for the ugly face of confusion he made upon waking, only realizing exactly how dumb it looked when he heard mingyu bark out a laugh. his own smile strengthened, cheeks beginning to ache, as he watched soonyoung blink away the sleep. tiger-like eyes squinted at them humorously, shifting between the two faces skeptically before dropping down to their conjoined hands. realization dawned on him visibly, but the small blond decided to cut him off before they were bombarded with questions.

“i was wrong about everything,” jihoon shrugged a shoulder lazily. the quirk of an eyebrow told his friend to save any inquiries for their train ride back home, the message getting across easily.

“huh,” it sounded like the guy was currently questioning everything he thought he knew to be true in the world, but jihoon had to give him credit for effortlessly rolling with it. “well, then i guess i’m sorry for calling you a dirty liar, gyu,” he shot a playful look toward the youngest, shifting into a shameless grin now that he had caught up.

a half-assed apology obviously didn’t bother someone as easygoing as mingyu, who brushed it off with a wave of his freehand, “eh, i’ve heard worse. don’t worry about it, hyung.” his gesture finally brought their attention back to that bag of freezing takeout, somehow still swinging untouched from his wrist despite all the hugging. it immediately jogged a train of thought, and he moved to dig through his pocket and pull out a (perfectly un-cracked) phone. “shit, i forgot all about minghao. i need to go drop this off before he forms a search and rescue party… for the food, not for me.”

disappointment must have been evident on jihoon’s face. one glance had his boyfriend rushing to reassure him, giving his hand a tight squeeze as he spoke, “give me two minutes, okay? i’ll be right back down and then we can go grab something for us. and soonyoung-hyung, if you’re hungry too.” he didn’t bother commenting that nobody ever had to ask soonyoung if he wanted food, already having it confirmed by the loud ‘hell yeah’ that was shouted into his ear.

“hurry up before he starts eating whatever he finds on the ground,” jihoon sighed, reluctantly uncurling their fingers and already missing the slightly clammy heat of the other’s palm. “he’s done it before, i’m not even exaggerating.”

without his boyfriend’s hand in his, mingyu took on the expression of a lost puppy, nodding frantically at the information before taking a hesitant step toward the building, “okay, okay, wait right here! don’t even move!” he stopped himself just before reaching the door, spinning back around to plant a quick kiss to the top of jihoon’s head. “okay, now i’ll go. i love you! please don’t disappear when i’m gone!”

he hated blushing in front of others, shrinking in on himself at the sound of soonyoung’s teasing coo. kicking out his leg to give him a push, a hand came up to hide his now shy smile, “love you too, stupid, but if you don’t get up there right now, i will be forced to leave you.” 

the threat was clearly empty, but was enough to throw the giant into a mad dash, nearly tripping over his own feet and slamming into the glass of the building’s door in his haste. the busan pair watched him trample toward the elevator, disappearing a few seconds later behind the closing metal doors. it was crazy to think that jihoon was completely in love with that fool, especially after the week of turmoil he had just experienced, but there was no denying it now. and soonyoung understood that without having it communicated, turning his head to grin down at him.

“you know, it might be nice to live in a place like this,” that mischievous glint in his eye usually brought out nothing but anxiety for jihoon, but those words were like the answer to a prayer he hadn’t even thought to make. “there’s so many opportunities here! not to mention the nightlife seoul has. it would almost be stupid to not think about moving here, don’t you agree?” he didn’t have to wait for an answer, knowing it would be a resounding ‘yes’, and pushed on with his idea, “our lease is up at the end of the semester. there really isn’t a reason to stay in busan when we graduate in a couple of months, if you think about it.” he continued on as if his roommate needed any more convincing, wearing the most smug look he could muster, “we’ve lived together for three years already, so we’re kind of a package deal at this point. it’s not like one of us could move away without the other. i’m just saying… maybe we should look for a new place while we’re here. i can use my detective skills to sniff something nice out while you go on a cute first date with your beau. what do you think, ji?”

“i think—,” jihoon let his words die off in his throat, immediately distracted by the reappearance of his boyfriend through the glass of the door. he watched the man stumble out of the elevator with a smile that could rival the sun on his face. kim mingyu, his first relationship, his best friend, and the guy he was whole-heartedly head over heels in love with, was finally in front of him and he didn’t think he could ever let go. he remembered those calloused fingertips against his cheek, knowing that there was still so much left to learn about him, so many details he needed to memorize. how was he supposed to experience it all if he stayed put in busan? 

jihoon wanted to know what it felt like to wake up to a sleepy smile and morning breath instead of just a ‘good morning’ text. he wanted to see firsthand what three exclamation points worth of enthusiasm looked like on the other’s face. he was selfish and he wanted it all: to taste those promised healthy meals, to spend evenings cuddled up on the couch with someone other than soonyoung, to meet all of those assholes friends and hear whatever embarrassing stories they had to offer. all it took to make that a reality was to pack up their things and relocate a few hours north, and his best friend was offering that up on a silver platter. if he didn’t take advantage of that, then he really was as stupid as this whole situation had made him out to be.

so, with his eyes glued to the excitable pup of a golden god, his heart in his throat, and an overwhelming sense of happiness coursing through him, jihoon found himself answering with a small nod, “i think we definitely need to look into that, detective kwon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all so much for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos! i was shocked to see that so many of you were interested in this story, and it made me extremely happy. i really hope that you all enjoyed this au just as much as i did. ♥


End file.
